Chapter 7

Mr. Mars had a small pension from the sheriff's department, having been wounded in the line of duty and he would have qualified for social security disability should he have opted to take it. However, those amounts would not cover the expenses of a family of five daughters, and a wife that was not inclined to moderation. Their home, though '09 adjacent was not overtly grand and in a fluke of antiquated law, was entailed, in default of heirs male, on a distant relation.

Their mother's fortune, though it was a joke to call it such, was a small trust fund, granting her an annual allowance that she perpetually used up before the first quarter of the year. Her father had been an attorney in Neptune, and had passed away while she was still in college. She had a sister married to a Mr. McCormack, who had been an associate to their father, and succeeded him in the business, and a brother settled in New York in an antiques importing and exporting business.

Being outside the 90909 zip code had its advantages. The downtown of Neptune was only one mile from their home. The girls found it convenient distance to walk through the shops, three or four times a week during the summer, and nearly as often when school was in session. The two youngest of the family, Lizzie and Madison, were particularly frequent in these walks; more social than their sisters' and lacking cars of their own, when nothing better offered, a walk through downtown Neptune was necessary to amuse them; their aunt being as much of a gossip as Mrs. Bishop, and always willing to share bits of news. At present, they were well supplied both with news and excitement by the recent arrival of a naval officers in the neighborhood; it was to remain the whole winter, as they were testing Neptune out as the location of a new officer candidate school in connection with a special program at Hurst.

Their visits to Mrs. McCormack were now productive of interesting intelligence. Every day added something to their knowledge of the officers' names and connections. Their lodgings were not long a secret, and at length they began to know the officers themselves. Mr. McCormack had conducted a joint workshop with the JAG office for helping the young officers establish living trusts, advance directives and wills, and therefore visited them all, and this opened to his nieces a source of felicity unknown before. They could talk of nothing but naval officers; and Mr. Kane's large fortune, the mention of which gave animation to their mother, was worthless in their eyes when opposed to the dress whites of an ensign.

***VM***

After listening one morning to their raptures on this subject, Mr. Mars coolly observed, "From all that I can collect by your manner of talking, you must be two of the silliest girls in the country. I have suspected it some time, but I am now convinced."

Lizzie was disconcerted, and made no answer, she was quite sure she was a rebel and not silly, parents just don't understand. Madison, with perfect indifference, continued to express her admiration of Lieutenant Commander Rooks, and her hope of seeing him after school, as he was going the next morning to San Diego.

Mrs. Mars frowned, Madison was her favorite daughter and when sober, she felt compelled to say something on her behalf. "If I wished to think so poorly of any body's children as to call them silly, it should not be of our own."

"If my children are silly I must hope to be always sensible of it." Mr. Mars contained his sigh, perhaps it was too early to engage his wife in such discussion…lately it always seemed to earlier to speak with her.

"All of them very clever. Madison is very wise to concern herself with officers and meeting the proper sort of young man, after all looks can be fleeting."

Mr. Mars was at once stunned and saddened by the insight his wife unwittingly displayed. "Let us not agree here, I must think our two youngest daughters uncommonly foolish and that their youth would be best spent in sensible pursuits rather than the pursuit of young men."

"My dear Mr. Mars, you must not expect such girls to have the sense of their parents. When they get to our age, I imagine they will not think about officers any more than we do. I remember the time when I liked dress whites myself very well—after all its better than mooning after a high school football player with no hopes of reaching the NFL; and if a smart young lieutenant, should want to marry one of our daughters, I shall not say nay to him; and I thought Commander Cho looked very becoming the other night at Sam Mackenzie's in his dress whites."

Madison, trying to paint the officers in a good light and failing, chimed in, "Mrs. McCormack says that Commander Cho and Lt. Commander Rooks do not go so often to the Seventh Veil as they did when they first came; she sees them now very often standing in Java the Hut."

Mrs. Mars was prevented replying by Meg's cell phone ringing loudly; it was a call from household on Netherfield Point. Mrs. Mars' eyes sparkled with pleasure, and she decided it was no longer too early to fix herself something stronger than plain orange juice.

"Well, Meg, who was it? What is it about? Tell us my beautiful girl." Lianne smiled contently both from the vodka and the thought of marrying her eldest off to such a wealthy young man.

"It was Miss Bingley," said Meg, her face a serene mask. "She invited me to dine with herself and her sister, Louisa Casablancas. Veronica, she says if you can pull your head out of your books, you are to join us as well, for she feels, and I quote "for a whole day's tête-à-tête between two women can never end without a quarrel." She says Duncan and the other guys are dining with some of the officer's at the sports bar tonight."

"With the officers!" cried Madison, wondering if her fake id would get her in tonight.

"Jugs & Mugs," mulled Mrs. Mars, "that is very unlucky."

"I shall go over after work," said Meg, "the station has me on a split today, so after the mid-day reports, I have to go back for the eleven o'clock tonight. So don't plan on seeing me tonight."

Her mother attended her to the door with good cheer, a split shift at the station meant that Meg would be spending a good 6 hours with Miss Kane, and even if her brother did not come home, perhaps Meg would contrive to leave the tv on her station so he would see her that night.

***VM***

Veronica went over to the Kane mansion later in the day. Classes that morning had been challenging, and she spent the afternoon in the library working on her law review article. She was feeling pleased with herself, midterms were over, and she could feel herself on the downhill stretch for this semester, with all of her papers progressing nicely.

That evening, before Meg and Veronica left, Lilly exclaimed brightly, "I have a wonderful idea!"

The rest of the girls smiled indulgently at Lilly waiting for her to continue. It wasn't long into their acquaintance when the Mars sisters realized, there was nothing Miss Lilly Kane liked more than being the center of attention. If there was fun to be had, she was certain to be in the middle of it.

"Next weekend is Halloween…you two must agree to come away for a long weekend with us down in Mexico! There are some amazing clubs and parties, and we own a house on the beach, and Latin men are so very…"

Meg interrupted…"That is very kind of you, but I probably have to work, I haven't checked what my shifts are for next week, and I am sure Veronica has studying to do, and class, it would be hard for her to break away…"

"Don't be such a stick in the mud," insisted Lily. Look, both of you come over tomorrow as soon as you are free, and we can figure out all the details." Miss Kane was in no mood to be diverted from her fun, and would brook no argument. Laughing, the Mars sisters agreed to return tomorrow and at least discuss the idea.

***VM***

"You both have to go!" said Mrs. Mars, her daughters were sitting around the breakfast table catching her up on the events of last night over coffee.

"But mama…" began Veronica.

"No buts! Your sister has a wonderful opportunity to spend some quality time with Mr. Kane, and she has more than enough vacation time built up at the station. You should be supportive in this, heavens know why they invited you along as well, but for the sake of propriety, and your sister's future felicity, you should find the time in your busy schedule to go behave like a normal girl."

Veronica winced internally. Her mother had been drinking earlier than usual, and was not being particularly nice. She wonders, not for the first time, what happened to the loving woman who taught her to bake, and would match her music to her dinner selections and in general had been so happy. Sighing, she realizes that she shouldn't look back so much, and that if her father was happy it was not her place to complain…she would be out of the house soon enough after all.

"Well, my dear," said Mr. Mars, noticing Veronica's discomfort, "if your daughters should both derail their careers, it would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr. Kane, and under your orders."

"Oh! Stop being so melodramatic, I am not at all afraid of either of their careers. Though why they should be aspiring to such things is perfectly beyond me. People do not spoil their futures by taking a holiday in Mexico."

Mr. Mars did have to concede that Mrs. Mars was right on this point. "It is true my dears, you both work very hard, and a vacation may serve to refresh you both, if you manage to avoid public displays of drunkenness and the wrong sort of party goer. Do as you will in this matter, but know, I have no real objection to the idea." With that Mr. Mars left the table, and went to his office.

Meg and Veronica, caving to combined will of their mother and Lily (who had been texting them all morning), agreed to go over to the Kane mansion that night to at least discuss the idea further.

***VM***

Veronica had a league soccer match that afternoon, one of her few non-law school related activities. It was a co-ed team, and she always got a good work out playing forward. In the last five minutes her team had scored a goal, and clinched a spot in the district playoffs. She had played hard and was exhausted. Getting in her car, she checked her phone before heading home. She saw a dozen missed text messages, demanding to know where she was and commanding her presence at the Kane home. Sighing with the thought of a nice shower and her pjs, she instead drives to Netherfield Point, knowing Lilly won't mind if she showers and changes there, but that she will be berated if she makes them wait for her any longer.

She was shown into the game room, where the entire household was assembled, and where her appearance created a great deal of surprise. That she should come directly from a soccer match was inconceivable to Mrs. Casablancas who was always dressed to perfection, and found the idea of sweating to be disgusting. Miss Kane merely rolled her eyes and laughed at her rough and tumble friend. Veronica was received politely by the group; and Duncan immediately asked her how the match went, and confided that he had played varsity soccer in high school himself. Mr. Echolls said very little, and Mr. Casablancas nothing at all. The former was divided between admiration of the brilliancy which exercise had given to her complexion, and a sudden rousing appreciation of knee socks. The latter was thinking only of his dinner.

Lilly took her to one of the guest suites to get cleaned up. "Mars, you certainly know how to make an entrance. Now hurry up, we have a vacation to plan!"

When she had showered and changed, Veronica joined the party downstairs, and found she was liking them better herself. Particularly when she saw how much affection and solicitude they showed towards Meg. Surprising herself, she found that she was agreeing to Lilly's plan and was soon entering notes into her phone about when and where they were to meet Thursday morning to head out of town. This being Tuesday, the sisters left Netherfield Point realizing they only had one day for shopping and packing, before heading to Mexico for a long weekend. They had to agree to leave on Thursday and not come home until Wednesday next.